Maundy Thursday

 Maundy Thursday – April 17, 2025

Psalm 67; Exodus 12:1-14; 1 Corinthians 11:20-32

St. John 13:1-15, 34-35

In the Name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

St. Paul writes of the Sacrament of the Altar, “For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you.”[1] The Sacrament we celebrate this evening is the same Sacrament St. Paul delivered to the Corinthians. More importantly, it is the same Sacrament Christ gave to His gathered disciples on the night on which He was betrayed. We participate in that same Supper, namely the very Body and Blood of Christ, given for you for the forgiveness of sins.

What you receive is the same Body and Blood of Christ that hung on the cross and rose from the grave three days later. So much is it the same, that it is not my reciting the Words of Christ that makes it the Sacrament. Rather, the speaking of the Verba marks these elements, this bread and wine, as participating in the very Words Christ spoke that first Maundy Thursday. These elements participate in the miracle of Christ Supper and thus are the Body and Blood of Christ, made so by His very words.

This Sacrament was given for us to “do this” often, namely eat and drink His Body and Blood, in remembrance of Him. The words, “in remembrance” mean to call to mind not only what the Sacrament is and what benefits it bestows, and those are chiefly what it refers to, but also the sacrifice made by Christ, through which we are saved. To receive the Sacrament in remembrance of Him is to remember Christ’s perfect life and death and to know that you are receiving the fruits of His righteousness in this very supper. You receive the forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation. None of these belong to you by right. They are not rewards for your work, knowledge, or personal righteousness. The Supper belongs to Christ and He has graciously called you to His table to receive everything that rightly belongs to Him. It is His forgiveness, life, and salvation that you receive.

And as this Supper rightly belongs to Him, it is the great gathering of the Body of Christ around His Holy Supper. It is a divine family meal, shared by those of the same faith, in a shared confession of Christ’s holy name.

Who, then, should receive the Sacrament? Simply, one who is worthy and well prepared. To be worthy to receive the Sacrament is to have faith in these words, “Given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins.”

As for preparation, St. Paul says, “Let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup.” To be prepared to receive the Sacrament requires examination. This examination is best done according to the Small Catechism, under the section called, “Christian Questions with Their Answers.” In summary, this examination has four chief parts. First, it requires that you know that you are a sinner. This is necessary since the Sacrament offers the forgiveness of sins. If you have no sin, then you have no need of the Sacrament. If you think you have no sin, you deceive yourself, and again, you have no need of the Sacrament. Knowledge and awareness of your sin also makes you aware of your need for salvation, your need for a Savior.

The second part of this examination is to see if you are sorry for your sins. This is called “contrition.” One can be aware of his sin but not sorry, not sorrowful, over it. Such pride has no place in the Christian, nor does such a prideful man have a share in Christ’s Body. Rather, to know your sin and be sorry for it is to desire to be free from it, to be turned away from it, to be relieved of it.

The third part of this examination concerns faith. If sorrow over sin is the first part of repentance, the second part is faith, trust that Christ has and will forgive your sin. Trusting that Christ can, does, and will forgive your sins is nothing more than trusting that the words of Christ are true. “Given and shed for you, for the forgiveness of sins.” Christ has said it, and this I believe.

The final part of examination is the intention, with the help of the Holy Spirit, to resist the devil and walk in newness of life. This is the fruit of repentance. A Christian who receives the forgiveness of sins has received a new heart, and sincerely intends to strive against the temptations of the devil and walk in the light of Christ.

Such preparation requires at lease some intellectual ability. It requires the ability to speak or communicate an awareness of what is happening in the Sacrament. This is especially important for the relationship between the communicant and the Celebrant, the Pastor who is distributing the Lord’s Supper. He, as the steward of the mysteries of God, is responsible for distributing the Holy Communion according to Christ’s institution and command. And since St. Paul warns against receiving the Sacrament unworthily, it is necessary that the Pastor do everything he can to assure that those who receive it from him, receive it to their benefit and not to their judgment.

This means the Pastor must be able to discern that the communicant can and has examined himself. It means the Pastor must have the sense that this person knows he is a sinner, is sorry for his sins, has faith that Christ has forgiven his sins, and intends to bear fruit according to this faith. That requires communication and examination on the part of the Pastor.

What about those whose faith is weak or who are struggling with their faith? Should they commune? By all means! The True Body and Blood of Christ strengthens you in body and soul to life everlasting. If a Christian’s faith is weak, if he has been assaulted by the cares of this world or the temptations of the devil, there is nothing he needs more than the assurance of the forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation found in the Holy Supper. He needs to be fed on the medicine of immortality that he might go on in the strength of this holy food.

We each ought to be concerned with receiving the Sacrament worthily. The First Letter to the Corinthians makes it clear that to receive it unworthily and unprepared is to eat and drink to your own judgment. The Lord’s Supper is the medicine of immortality, but use any medicine incorrectly and it will harm you. Failure to consider the right use of the Sacrament runs the danger of receiving it to your temporal and eternal harm.

Who, then, should not receive the Sacrament of the Altar? First, those who are not Christians or are not baptized should not receive the Sacrament. They have no knowledge of sin according to the Word of God and do not trust in Christ for Salvation. If they are converts to Christianity who haven’t yet been baptized, they first need to receive the new birth of water and the Holy Spirit. Then, they may join in the glorious feast of Christ.

Second, those who cannot examine themselves should not receive the Sacrament. This includes infants, who have not yet obtained the intellectual ability to examine themselves. It also includes those with significantly progressed forms of dementia or alzheimer’s, who have lost the intellectual ability to examine themselves. Similarly, those who are unconscious should not commune. Finally, the uninstructed fit into this category. The uninstructed are not lacking in skill but are lacking in knowledge. They must first be shown from God’s Word what sin is, how to find sin within themselves, who Christ is, what He has done, and receive instruction in what it means to bear fruit in keeping with repentance.

Third, those who are openly unrepentant, living contrary to God’s Word, should not commune. These are those Christians who are aware of their sins but are not contrite over them or do not want to amend their life so as to flee from sin. This, by the way, includes sins against the Third Commandment. The one who was baptized and confirmed in a Lutheran Church but hasn’t come to the Divine Service since the Sunday after confirmation should not commune. He habitually lives contrary to God’s command to be in Church, to gather with the saints, to commune often, that is frequently.

In the preface to the Small Catechism, Dr. Luther says that someone who does not seek Holy Communion at least four times a year is not a Christian, and he is being generous. God commands frequent attendance to keep the Sabbath day holy. Attending once or twice a year, let alone a few times in a decade, does not mean you are a Christian. Such a one should not commune until he has received fresh instruction, examined himself and been examined such that he can make the bold confession, “I am a sinner for whom Christ died, and my soul needs the Sacrament that I might obtain the forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation.”

Fourth, Christians who are themselves unforgiving and refuse to be reconciled with their neighbors also ought not commune. Christ says, “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”[2] To withhold forgiveness and refuse reconciliation is to slap Christ in the face. It is to say that your judgment is greater than God’s. He gave His life for you, to forgive your sins, yet you would refuse to forgive someone for their slight against you. Like the servant who begged for forgiveness from his master but refused to forgive the debt of another servant and was thrown into prison, the outcome for refusing to forgive is the same.

Finally, those of a different confession are not to commune together. Holy Communion is not just an individual act between you and God. It is a public expression of unity with those who kneel at the rail with you. It is a statement that you share the doctrine that is preached from this pulpit and distributed from this altar. It is a meal shared by a family, it is not for strangers off the street, foreigners to the family.

There are real distinctions between denominations. Any church body that ordains women does not believe the Scriptures to be without error. Any church who believes the Sacrament of the Altar is a symbol of Christ’s Body has a false understanding of who Christ is. A Church who gives any man other than Christ the authority to determine what sin is or who receives salvation does not believe what the Bible says concerning the forgiveness of sins and our justification before God. These are real, core differences that we should not overlook. There are certainly Christians in all Christian denominations but there is no unity. To commune together would be to confess a lie, a unity that doesn’t exist.

To a lesser degree, it is also important to remember that even within the Lutheran Church -Missouri Synod, a visitor to a church does not have an inherent right to commune. When you visit another congregation, you are a guest in their house. It is your responsibility to contact the Pastor ahead of time so that he knows to expect you. On the morning of, it is your responsibility to arrive early, introduce yourself, and ask permission to commune. It is fitting and proper for a guest to ask to participate in the family meal. And if the pastor, for whatever reason, asks you not to commune that day, you should not take offense. Your soul will not be harmed by not receiving the sacrament for that one day. You will still participate in the service. You will hear the Word of God by which man is saved. Your sins will be forgiven.

Regarding those who should not commune, the goal is always to move toward being able to commune. For the unbeliever, that they would be brought to faith in Christ, moved by the Holy Spirit through the Word of God to receive Christ as the only way to salvation. For the unrepentant and the unforgiving, that they would be shown the depth of their sin, moved by the Holy Spirit to confess that sin for what it is and return to the sheepfold of faith, sincerely fleeing from sin and clinging to Christ. For the uninstructed, that they would be instructed in the faith, taught the Word of God so that they might examine themselves and be found worthy and prepared to receive the Holy Communion. And finally, for those of a different confession, that they would see the errors taught in their denomination and brought to a right understanding of the Word of God, made to see the pure truth of God’s Word. The Church regularly prays for an end to all schisms. Christ has one Body and it is the sincere desire of all Christians that the Body of Christ would be united in a true confession of His Word.

The meal we share this evening is the Lord’s Supper. It is His meal where He is both host and food. We dine together, being united in one confession of Christ’s Holy Word. In this divine meal, we receive the forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation because in this meal, we receive Christ, Himself. He gives His Body and Blood that we would be united with Him in body and soul.

In + Jesus’ name. Amen.

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[1] 1 Corinthians 11:23.

[2] St. Matthew 6:14-15.

Laetare (Lent 4)

 Laetare (Lent 4) – March 30, 2025

Psalm 122; Exodus 16:2-21; Galatians 4:22-5:1a

St. John 6:1-15

In the Name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

The doctrine of Providence refers to the fact that God not only created everything in the universe but continues to provide for it and sustain it. If God ceased providing for even a small corner of creation, it would cease to exist. St. Paul writes to the Colossians, “For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible…and in Him all things consist.”[1] This sustaining action of God, and this alone, insures the continued existence of the world. When Scripture says that God rested on the seventh day, it means that He rested from creating new things.[2] He did not rest the way that you and I typically think of resting. He did not take a day long nap and avoid all activity. He continued to support and provide for creation even on His day of rest.

God provides for creation through means which He has established since the foundation of the world. Through the seed that falls to the earth, God provides nutrition for man and beast. In turn, the cow who is nourished by the plant provides meat for man. Through mothers, God provides milk for children. Through parents, God provides His word and instruction for children. We give thanks to God for the specific means through which He provides but we must always remember that it is God who is behind these provisions. It is God who give nutrients to the seed, the cow, and man. It is God who His Word to mothers and fathers. It is even God who gives authority to governments and rulers for the punishment of the wicked and promotion of the good.

God’s Providence is an extremely comforting doctrine. It means that you do not need to worry yourself over how you will dress, or what you will eat, or what you will drink. Consider the lilies of the field and the birds of the air. They do not have retirement accounts or work 9 to 5 yet the Lord provides for them. So much more will He care for His beloved children.[3]

After the children of Israel had been delivered from slavery in Egypt and after they had been delivered from the smiting hand of Pharaoh at the Red Sea, they found themselves hungry and in the desert. Rather than turning to the One who provides in repentant prayer, they began to complain against Moses and Aaron. The people went so far as to complain against these ministers given to them by God that they wished they had never left Egypt. They longed for the meat pots and bread of slavery under the tyrannical Pharaoh.

These same people had seen the miracles of God against Pharaoh and how the Lord had preserved them from the same destruction, and yet for the sake of their bellies, they desired to return to their bondage. They preferred the convenience of life under the yoke of sin. It is easier to be a slave to sin than to be free under the Lord God. It is also easier to blame Moses and Aaron for having delivered them than to seek the Word of God, repent, and endure the oppression of the world for the sake of salvation.

And the Lord still provides. He gave word to Moses concerning the manna and the quail, the means by which the Lord would sustain His people until they came into the Land of Promise. The provision of the Lord should not be seen as excusing the sinful actions of the children of Israel. It is not as though He said, “Well, the people were just ‘hangry,’ so its not their fault if they complained against Moses and Aaron.” No. He provided the manna and quail that the people would know that He is their God, that they might look to Him to provide all good things for this body and life as well as their spiritual needs.

Even then, the people did not listen. Some became greedy, gathering more than they needed. They did not trust that what the Lord said He would provide would come to them. What was the result? The extra they had gathered rotted overnight, bred worms, and gave a horrible stench. This was a rebuke against their failure to trust that God would do just as He said He would.

Think now on the multitude that sought after Christ. This was almost certainly a mixed bag. Our text says the great multitude followed Christ because they saw the signs which He performed on those who were diseased.[4] Many of these were probably looking for a miracle of their own, or even just wanting to be entertained by this miracle-man from Nazareth. Some saw His miracles and sought His teaching that went along with the miraculous signs. It is not recorded that the multitude cried out for a miracle or that they complained against the disciples for food. You almost get the sense that the multitude was waiting patiently to see what the Christ would do.

It is He who first raises the question of feeding the multitude, already knowing what He would do about it. His disciples immediately begin planning, raising more obstacles than solutions. They, like their forefathers, did not think to petition the One through whom all things were made. They thought only of the cost, the supplies, and the difficulty of feeding so many.

Yet even for these, the Lord still provides. He provided fish and bread for 5,000 men, plus women and children, and for the disciples who did not trust the Lord to provide for the multitude. He gave in over-abundance such that twelve baskets were filled with the leftovers. From five loaves and two fish, Christ satisfied all those who had come to Him.

This morning, we take a momentary reprieve from the austerity of Lent. Today is called “Laetare” from “Laetare Jerusalem,” “Rejoice with Jerusalem, and be glad for her, All you who love her,” the antiphon to our Introit. We take a moment to rejoice in all that the Lord has provided for us. With the children of Israel and the multitude by the mountain, we rejoice and give thanks for our clothing and shoes, food and drink, house and home, land, animals, and all we have to support this body and life. We pause from the Lenten character of spiritual warfare to give thanks for the multiple blessings the Lord has given to us.

The rose color of the paraments is festive, removing the darker hues that form violet to give the joyous color of the Rose who bloomed in the womb of the Virgin. This Rose is the chief thing we give thanks for today. We remember and are satisfied that the Peace of Jerusalem was won for us in the death and resurrection of Christ. We remember the One who died that we might live. Liturgically, that is the point of having a day of rejoicing in the middle of Lent. We pause to rejoice in all the Lord provides us, chiefly that He provides us the forgiveness of sins, life and salvation, that we might be prepared for what comes next. Beginning next Sunday, we dive into the deepest portion of Lent, Passiontide, when our focus narrows to the events of that Holy Week when Christ conquered sin and death.

But for this day, for now, let us rejoice that we may nurse and be satisfied from the consoling breast of Jerusalem. How are we fed? What manna do we receive? Where are the bread and fish to be found? They come from the very breast of Christ. They come in His Holy Body and Precious Blood. The feast of the Holy Communion this day is provided for you from the breast of Christ, who nourishes His saints with His own body. He prepares us today to face death, with the knowledge that He has already conquered death. Although for our evil deeds we worthily deserve to be punished, we rejoice and are comforted that we have been mercifully relieved by Christ, our King.

In + Jesus’ name. Amen.

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[1] Colossians 1:16-17.

[2] Genesis 2:2.

[3] St. Matthew 6:25-34.

[4] St. John 6:2.

The Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Presentation of Jesus

The Purification of Mary and the Presentation of Jesus – February 2, 2025

Psalm 48; Malachi 3:1-4; Hebrews 2:14-18

St. Luke 2:22-32

In the Name of the Father, and of the + Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Forty days after the birth of our Lord, Mary and Joseph bring Him to the Temple to be redeemed. At the same time, Mary presents a sacrifice for her purification. Both are according to the Laws of the Old Testament wherein the firstborn male of both humans and animals were to be given to the Lord and women who have given birth must be purified from the uncleanness inherent in giving birth.

In the case of some beasts, the firstborn could be redeemed with the sacrifice of a lamb in its place. In the case of the firstborn child, God commanded they always be redeemed. The redemption price of a son or daughter was a lamb of the first year for a burnt offering and either a pigeon or turtledove for a sin offering.^[1] If a lamb was too expensive, two pigeons or two turtledoves would suffice.

To be redeemed means to be substituted. It means giving one thing in place of another so that you might receive back the first possession. Redemption is not quite the same as making a purchase. Giving the checker money in exchange for groceries isn’t the same as redemption because the groceries did not belong to you in the first place. Rather, if you’ve ever been to a wedding reception or banquet with a coat check, you have experienced redemption. You gave the clerk your coat in exchange for a ticket. At the end of the night, you redeemed your coat by giving the clerk your ticket. The coat is your property, and you willfully gave it to the clerk. You then “bought back” your coat at the price of the ticket. This is redemption.

The redemption of the firstborn is connected with the forgiveness of sins. God instituted the redemption of the firstborn in relation to the final plague of Egypt, wherein the firstborn sons of Egypt were killed by the Angel of the Lord but those of Israel were spared by the blood of a lamb placed on the doorposts. The boys of Israel were redeemed from the plague by the blood of a lamb. Their sins were passed over by the Angel, forgiven in the shedding of the blood of a lamb.

The purification of Mary is an acknowledgment of sin. Giving birth is a bloody business and coming into contact with blood makes one unclean in the Levitical law. This is because there is life in blood and if you are in contact with blood, it means that life has been poured out. Life being poured out is a sign of death and death is the wage of sin. Being truly a man, even the birth of our Lord was attended by the usual events of giving birth. Therefore, the Blessed Mother of Christ needed to be purified. She, too, required the forgiveness of sins.

If these rituals pertained to the forgiveness of sins, why did Christ, who is without sin, submit to them? Why did Christ need to be redeemed? There are at least two ways to answer this question. First, it is not Christ’s sins that need to be forgiven but ours. Much like His baptism in the Jordan River, Christ’s redemption at the Temple places Him into our redemption. Rather than forgiving His sins, it is placing our sins on Him. He is being “bought back” by the human race, that His holiness would be given to man and our sins would be given to Him.

Secondly, submitting to this ritual is part of Christ’s active obedience to the Law of God. When the Second Person of the Holy Trinity took on our flesh, He humbled Himself to be like us in every way but without sin. That means that He also humbled Himself to be placed under the same Law of God that had been placed on all mankind. He did not need to be redeemed from His sins, He didn’t have any, but He humbly submitted Himself to the same rigors and rituals that all mankind was expected to observe.

The significant difference is that all mankind fails in some aspect of the Law. St. James tells us that to fail in one tiny aspect of the Law is to fail in the whole Law, “Whoever shall keep the whole Law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.”[2] And even this tiniest of stumbles in the Law is worthy of eternal condemnation. And since the Law of God is eternal, it is necessary that the Law be kept perfectly. With man this is impossible. With God, nothing is impossible. Thus the necessity of the Law required that Christ not only submit Himself passively to death on the cross but that He actively keep the Law perfectly His entire life. Submitting to circumcision, the presentation, and the rest of the rituals commanded in the Law is Christ actively keeping the Law of God on our behalf.

When the rituals of the presentation and purification had been completed, an old priest approached the Holy Family and took the Christ child into his arms. Simeon did not need to be told who this child was. Like the magi, he immediately recognized his Lord. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death until he had beheld the Christ, the Savior. Led by the same Spirit, he went up to the Temple and found the Lord’s Christ returning from fulfilling His obligation to the Law. Taking up the child in his arms, Simeon said,

“Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace,
According to Thy word.
For Mine eyes have seen Thy salvation,
Which Thou hast prepared before the face of all peoples.
A light to lighten the Gentiles,
And the glory of Thy people Israel.”[3]

Simeon’s prayer is a prayer for death. The Holy Spirit had promised that Simeon would not die until he had seen the Christ. Since he was now holding the Christ in his arms, Simeon told God that he was ready to die. There was nothing left in this world for him to do; nothing to experience, nothing to long for. He had all in all. He had the Lord’s Christ in his arms and there is nothing more needful.

We sing this song of Simeon every Sunday after receiving the Holy Communion and we ought to sing it with the same vigor and intention of Simeon. What you receive in your hand or on your tongue is the same Christ that Simeon held in his hands. It is the same body of Christ, the same God become man who would forgive all your sins. So too, we ought to recognize that having received the very Body and Blood of Christ, we, like Simeon, are prepared for death. We have all in all, the thing most needful, and there is nothing left for us to do, experience, or receive in this world.

That is a radical thought. You might piously share it, realizing that the forgiveness of sins is the most important thing in this life. But at the same time, none of us is longing for death. You want to see your granddaughter’s dance recital and your son’s basketball game. You don’t expect to die on your way home today and I’m sure that you aren’t hoping to die today.

On the one hand, those thoughts are bad or sinful in themselves. You want to make use of the blessings and gifts that God has given you. You ought to enjoy the many gifts God has given you in this world.

On the other hand, you ought to be prepared at all times for death. To live is Christ and to die is gain, St. Paul says to the Philippians.[4] To live in this world is to be the Body of Christ, to enjoy the things of this creation, and to be stewards of God’s good gifts. It is to bear the light of Christ to the nations and His glory to His people.

And yet to die is gain. It is gain because it means freedom from the sin which clings to the flesh and the joy of the nearer presence of Christ. We are sojourners in this world, it is not our home, our final destination. For the Christian, to die is great gain because it is one step closer to the resurrection of all flesh.

Therefore, every time we sing the Nunc Dimittis, you ought to realize that you are prepared to die. At any moment, should the good Lord call you home, you are prepared. Your sins are forgiven, and Christ is prepared to receive you into His open arms. Will your loved ones mourn your death? Absolutely. Death is separation and separation is painful. But when a Christian dies, the Christians who mourn him do not do so without hope. We mourn the pain of separation and the loss of the presence of our loved one, but we also rejoice that they have conquered this world of sin. The victory of Christ on the cross has been made complete for our loved one and we now look forward to the reunion in the resurrection.

The Nunc Dimittis is a hymn of supreme confidence that the Body of Christ is the one thing most needful. It is a hymn of confidence that what Christ says is true and He has said that the death of a Christian is little more than sleep. Sing it boldly and confidently, believing that the words are true.

Should you find yourself doubting, fearing death, then turn toward the promises of Christ. One difference between us and Simeon is that he only had the word of promise from the Holy Spirit that he would see the Christ. You have so much more. You have the Word of God, like Simeon, but you also have Holy Baptism. You have the Holy Communion. You have the Word of Absolution spoken by your pastor with his hands placed on your head. You have God’s Word and His Word tied to physical means that the promises of Christ are true. Make use of these means of grace for the strengthening of your faith and the emboldening of your confidence that you are prepared to die.

In + Jesus’ name. Amen.

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[1] Leviticus 12:6-8.

[2] James 2:10.

[3] St. Luke 2:29-32, The Nunc Dimittis.

[4] Philippians 1:21.

Reminiscere (The Second Sunday in Lent)

Guest Preacher: Rev. Kevin Vogts

Reminiscere (The Second Sunday in Lent) - March 5, 2023

Psalm 25; Genesis 32:22-32; 1 Thessalonians 4:1-7

St. Matthew 15:21-28

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Martin Luther says about today’s Old Testament Reading, “This text is one of the most obscure in the Old Testament.”

This strange story of “Jacob at the Jabbok,” the patriarch Jacob wrestling through the night with a mysterious man on the banks of the Jabbok River, is one of the most peculiar and puzzling events in the whole Bible.

Jacob is on his way home, on the other side of the Jabbok River.  But, it is a homecoming fraught with fear and danger.  Today’s Hymn of the Day is really a like a summary of all that happens to the patriarch Jacob in today’s Old Testament Reading: “When in the hour of deepest need we know not where to look for aid . . . days and nights of anxious thought . . . sorely tried, cast down . . . perplexed by fears . . . to You, O faithful God, we cry for rescue in our misery.”

St. Paul says in today’s Epistle Reading: “No one should take advantage of and defraud his brother.”  But, Jacob’s  homecoming is fraught with fear and danger because many years before that is exactly what he had done, when he tricked his older brother Esau, depriving him of his birthright as firstborn son.  Jacob fled from his brother’s anger, to a far-away country. 

It was on that journey Jacob had a dream, a vision of a stairway reaching to heaven, with angels ascending and descending on it—what we call “Jacob’s Ladder.”

In the vision of Jacob’s ladder, the Lord promises that one of Jacob’s descendants will be the Messiah, the Savior of the world: “All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your Descendant,” the Lord declares to Jacob.

That promise came true in Jesus Christ.  For, he is the promised descendant of Jacob, conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, Son of God and Son of Man, who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven and was made man.  “All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your Descendant.”

All peoples on earth are blessed through him.  “For God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned.”

Your altar window beautifully portrays how by his sacrifice on the cross he suffered the punishment for the sins of the whole world.  In his body on the cross he suffered the punishment for YOUR sins.  Because of his perfect life, his sacrificial death, and his triumphant resurrection, God forgives YOU all your sins.  “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved.”

In the vision of Jacob’s ladder, God also promised to be with Jacob and to bless him.  And God did bless Jacob abundantly in that far-away land to which he fled, giving Jacob great wealth and a huge family.

Now, many years later, Jacob is returning home with a enormous caravan, of flocks, and herds, servants, and family.  But, Jacob is terrified of going home to face his brother Esau, on the other side of the Jabbok.  Will Esau still hold a grudge against him?  Will he pay Jacob back for his trickery and deceit?  Will he steal away Jacob’s flocks, herds, and servants—and then vent his anger on Jacob’s family?

So, Jacob sends messengers ahead to scout the situation, and they return with worst possible news: Esau is on his way, and with him are four hundred armed men.  In great fear, Jacob cries out to the Lord, “Save me, I pray, from the hand of my brother Esau!  For, I am afraid he will come and attack me.”

To help pacify Esau, Jacob sends ahead all his flocks, herds, and servants, as gifts to his brother.  Maybe by bribing Esau this way, at least he and his family can escape with their lives. 

At the Jabbok River, in today’s Old Testament Reading, Jacob and his family stop for the night, and his family crosses the river.  The next morning Jacob will cross over to confront Esau and his army.  Like a nervous soldier the night before a big battle, Jacob is dreading the dawn of day.  “So Jacob was left alone.”  That is how “Jacob at the Jabbok” felt that night: afraid, anxious, alone.

But, Jacob was not alone.  Years before in the vision of Jacob’s ladder, the Lord promised to be with him and to bless him: “I will be with you,” he said, “and will watch over you wherever you go. . . I will not leave you,” the Lord promised.

Do YOU sometimes feel like “Jacob at the Jabbok”: afraid, anxious, alone?  Confronting your own tragedies and troubles in life, that bring you to despair, like Jacob that night?  But, like “Jacob at the Jabbok,” YOU really are not alone.  “Do not let your hearts be troubled,” Jesus says.  “Trust in God; trust also in me. . .  Surely, I am with you always.”

“Jacob at the Jabbok” needs reassurance that dreadful night, reassurance of God’s love, forgiveness, and blessing.  He needs to FEEL God’s presence in a very REAL way.  And, so, God sends him this time, not just a dreamy vision, like when he saw Jacob’s ladder, but this time God sends him a physical presence: “And a man wrestled with him till daybreak.”

Who is this mysterious man who wrestles with Jacob?  Jacob puts it this way

“I saw GOD face to face.”  In this mysterious, enigmatic event, it is God himself who appears like a man and wrestles with “Jacob at the Jabbok.”  It is a physical reassurance to Jacob that God is with him; and an unforgettable confidence builder for Jacob as he crosses the Jabbok River the next morning to face Esau and his army.

All through the night Jacob wrestles with the Lord.  “When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man.”

By simply touching Jacob’s hip, the Lord shows his power.  He could easily have conquered Jacob at any time in this wrestling match.  When he simply touches his hip, it’s wrenched out of place.  But, instead the Lord allows Jacob to win the struggle, even giving him the new name Israel, which means, “to struggle with God.” 

“Then the man said, ‘Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, for you have struggled with God and with men and have overcome.’”

All of this was to reassure Jacob that God is on his side, to build up Jacob’s confidence.  For, if he is able to win THIS struggle against God himself, surely he has nothing to fear the next morning from his brother Esau.  Hebrews puts it this way: “God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’  So we say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.  What can man do to me?’”

Like “Jacob at the Jabbok,” do YOU need confidence, reassurance of God’s love, forgiveness, and blessing?  Do you need to FEEL God’s presence in a very real way?

You see, that is why God gave us the Sacraments of Holy Baptism and Holy Communion, and Holy Absolution.  For, in the Sacraments, and Holy Absolution, God gives YOU physical, tangible signs of his presence.

In Holy Baptism, the water with the Word washes away your sins, implanting and strengthening faith in your heart, making you “born again” as a believing child of God.  As St. Paul says in Titus: “He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.”

In Holy Communion, your Savior comes to you physically, inviting you to actually eat and drink his body and blood, in, with, and under the bread and wine, to strengthen you in the true faith unto life everlasting.  As St. Paul says in 1st Corinthians: “The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?”

And just as Jacob that night saw the Lord face to face in the form of a man, in Holy Absolution, God still also sends to you a man, to proclaim to you, face to face, in the stead and by the command of our Lord Jesus Christ: “I forgive all your sins.”

Just as the Lord appeared to Jacob that night in the physical form of a man, in the Sacraments of Holy Baptism and Holy Communion, and in Holy Absolution, God graciously gives you physical, tangible signs of his presence, to reassure you of his love, forgiveness, and blessing.

At the end of their wrestling match, the Lord also reassures Jacob with his WORD of blessing:  “Then the man said [to Jacob], ‘Let me go, for it is daybreak.’ But Jacob replied, ‘I will not let you go unless you bless me.’”

Jesus once told the Parable of the Persistent Widow, who despite a judge’s indifference kept coming to him with her plea: “Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not lose heart.”  Like “Jacob at the Jabbok,” like the persistent widow in the parable, like the Canaanite woman in today’s Gospel Reading who kept following Jesus and crying out for mercy, do not let go of the Lord.

Cling to him for his blessing, wrestle with him in prayer.  Jesus concludes the parable: “And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly.

And that’s exactly what happens for Jacob the next morning as he crosses the Jabbok River.  God answers his prayers, and all is well.  His brother Esau does not hold a grudge or seek revenge, but he welcomes Jacob and his family with joy.

When you feel like “Jacob at the Jabbok,” afraid, anxious, alone, remember how God comes to you like he did to Jacob, to reassure you of his love, forgiveness, and blessing.  Just as he appeared to Jacob physically in the form of a man, the Lord still comes to you physically in the Sacraments, in the tangible forms of water, bread, and wine. And just as the Lord appeared to Jacob face to face in the form of a man, in

Holy Absolution, God still sends to you a man, in the stead and by the command of our Lord Jesus Christ, to proclaim to you face to face: “I forgive all your sins.”

And finally, just as the Lord left Jacob with his WORD of blessing, he still comes and blesses you through his Word, as you read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest it.

Amen.